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5 new things to do in New York

In an empire state of mind? While iconic destinations such as the Statue of Liberty and the Met are always on the agenda, there is always something new to see in New York. House & Garden travel editor Pamela Goodman, online editor Alaina Vieru and recent New York resident Issy Thompson reveal five new favourites...

The High Line HotelFor being the city that never sleeps New York turns out new hotels at an astonishing rate. But the beauty of this Chelsea spot is that you don't have to be a guest to enjoy its many charms. The High Line Hotel is located just 50 yards from its garden path namesake, making it perfect for a pick-me-up post stroll. Grab an Intelligensia coffee from the 1963 Citroën coffee truck parked out front, or try something stronger at outdoor bar Champagne Charlie's. The grounds were once a seventeenth-century apple orchard belonging to Clement Clarke Moore, author of Twas the Night Before Christmas, while the building itself was home to the General Theological Seminary, a nineteenth-century architectural masterpiece. Words like 'Old New York', 'bygone era' and 'historic' come to mind but mercifully these aren't words dreamed up by creative agencies. The rooms all feature hardwood floors, locally-sourced furniture and large windows with a view. If you need to sleep in this city, this is the place. - Alaina Vieru

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The High Line Hotel, 108 Tenth Avenue, New York, thehighlinehotel.com. Doubles from about £215 per night.

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Chocolate TourA chocolate tour - on foot through the Meatpacking District and Greenwich Village - sounded just the thing to distract teenage daughters from endless shopping excursions. I had booked online in advance - essential, as it turned out, as these tours are hugely over subscribed - and we duly met our fellow 'tourers' at Chelsea Market on an exceptionally cold afternoon. For the next two hours our group of some 16 people were chaperoned by a guide who, in between chocolate stops, enlightened us with historical facts and anecdotes about the streets through which we were tramping. To call this simply a chocolate tour was perhaps something of a misnomer. Chocolate there was aplenty but we also sampled cookies, muffins, macaroons and cannoli during the course of our eight stops. Highlights included exquisite hot chocolate at the Chocolate Bar in West Village and, inevitably I suppose being and ex-Sex and the City fan, a cupcake at the Magnolia Bakery on Bleecker Street. It's a fun tour but remember to wear comfortable shoes and to take a bottle of water. Eating chocolate is a thirsty business. - Pamela Goodman

Book online at greatnewyorktours.com. Tours happen two to three times per day on Wednesdays through to Sundays and cost $50 per person.

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Queen of the NightA thoroughly modern mash-up of fine dining, performance art, theatre and nightlife, Queen of the Night has tickled critics across the board and brought in New Yorkers steadily, often repeatedly (despite it's $145 entry level price tag). The show's run has been extended beyond its initial six weeks to a full year. With all that - did we mention the dazzling circus and acrobatics? - you'd almost expect the food to be an afterthought. But it's not. Rosemary cocktails, steaming lobsters, whole suckling pigs, buttery potatoes, decanters of wine, spoonfuls of chocolate… gorge you should and gorge you will. Served haphazardly and family style, if you want it all you have to fight for it - or at least eat it out of a performer's hand. The experience is wildly immersive. Be prepared to be whisked away by one of the 33 performers to a darkened corner, a deserted hallway… But most of all, it's utterly unmissable. If you're in the city, see it (and taste it) before its gone. All hail the queen. - Alaina Vieru

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Refinery RooftopTucked away in the streets of the Garment District, where finding even a decent sandwich can be a struggle, is the Refinery Hotel - a veritable oasis in the midst of midtown. Built on the site of a converted turn-of-the century hat factory, the hotel reflects the industrial roots of the area while catering to a sophisticated clientele. On the top of the building is the Refinery Rooftop which, with its spectacular views of the iconic New York skyline, offers a quintessential experience of the city. Be sure to try a selection of their famous cocktails, which are curated and curated by the mixologist Alex Ott, who places great emphasis upon the importance of using fresh, seasonal ingredients. Try the Gin Jam, which boasts seedless raspberry jam amongst its complex list of ingredients, or the Baby Doll, which features a medley of fresh watermelon, lemon and pineapple. - Issy Thompson

9/11 Memorial MuseumLocated in the archaeological heart of the World Trade Centre site, the 9/11 Memorial Museum pays solemn witness to the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and February 26, 1993. Through the means of multimedia, archives and narratives, the museum hopes to honour the nearly 3,000 victims of these attacks and all who risked their lives to save others. By focusing on individual stories of loss, and upon the intimate examples of compassion, fear and recovery that are so central to telling the story of 9/11, the museum provides an engaging, emotional experience that helps its visitors understand the trauma that New York has been through, and the road that it has taken to recovery. - Issy Thompson

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Top tipFor fans of New York's iconic delights: buy a CityPASS. This golden ticket saves 40% on admission to the top six attractions in the city (Empire State Building, American Museum of Natural History, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, MoMA, Guggenheim Museum and the Statue of Liberty). Find out more at citypass.com/new-york

For more information on New York City please visit the NYC & Company website nycgo.com